Ball-bearing



(No Model.)

. BALL BEARING.

Patented Apr. "7

.mv 9 y wil P a .u

UNITED STATES PATENT GEORGE F. SIHONDS, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

BALL-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,953, dated April 7, 1891.

Application led August 2, 1890. Serial No. 360,805. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FREDERICK SIMONDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fitchburg, in the county of Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ball-Bearings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its obj ect to provide a novel, durable, and efficient ball-bearing for rotary journals, such as railway-car axles; to provide novel means for sustaining or supporting the radial pressurel or weight and counteracting endwise thrusts of the axle or journal; to provide a novel duplex packing at the inner end of a ball-bearing; to provide a novel construction of ball-bearin g, whereby the individual parts can be conveniently and rapidly assembled and introduced within the axle-box into correct working position on the axle or journal; to provide novel means for securing a ball-bearing on an axle or journal and within an axle-box for avoiding the possibility of partsbecoming loose or disarranged during the travel of the car, and, finally, to generally improve the anti-friction bearings of car-axles to render them more practical and eiicient. To accomplish all these objects, my invention involves the features of construction, the combination or arrangement of devices, and the principles of operation hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying' drawing, in which the figure is a longitudinal sectional view of the improved ball-bearing, showing a portion of the car axle or journal in elevation and a portion i n section.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use myiiivention, I will now describe tlie saine in detail, referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein- The numeral 1 indicates a car-axle, and 2 the journal or spindle thereof, which is introduced into the car-axle box 3 to revolve therein, such box being in practice loosely connected with the body of the car, as usual, to permit the car-body to rise and fall, While the box sustains the weight on the axle or journal. The inner end portion of the box is formed with a iiange et projecting toward the axle and having its inner surface provided with an annular groove 5, seinicircular, or approximately so,i1i cross-section and containing an annular packing 6, of any material suitable for the conditions required.

A tubularl piece or sleeve 7 is properly fitted upon the journal 2 ofthe axle and at Aits extremities is furnished with external screw-threads 8 and 9, while centrally between the screw-threaded extremities the tubular piece or sleeve is formed with an annular projecting collar or rib 10, the side walls of which are arranged at right angles to the axis of the axle. An annuliis 12 is screwed upon the threaded portion 8 at the inner end of the tubular piece or sleeve and contains an annular groove 13, which is semicircular, or approximately so, in cross-section and contains a packing similar to the packing in the groove 5 of the axle-box. The inner side or wall of the annulus 12 bears against the packing in the groove 5, while the packing carried by the annulus 12 bears against the inside of the inner one of two rings or annular pieces 14, which accurately fit the interior of the axle-box and are approximately coextensive in length therewith. The rings or annular pieces are each provided With an inwardly-projecting annular rib or collar 15 in proximity to the collar or rib on the tubular piece or sleeve 7, and in the annular spaces between the rib or collar of the tubular piece or sleeve and the ribs or collars of the rings or annular pieces are arranged two annular sets of spherical rollers or balls 16, which bear against the adjacent side surfaces vof the ribs or collars 10 and 15. These two annular sets of spherical rollers or balls serve to counteract the endwise thrust of the axle or journal in both directions, while to sustain or support the radial pressure or Weight of the car-body I provide annular sets of splierical rollers or' balls 17 between the tubular piece or sleeve 7 and each ring or annular piece 14.

I have illustrated three annular sets of spherical rollers or balls 17 between the annulus 12 and the rib or collar 15 on the inner rin@ or annular piece 14, and a similar arrangement of spherical rollers or balls is provided between tlie rib or collar 15 on the outer ring or annular piece 14 and a screw-ring 18, engaged with the screw-threads 9 at the outer end of the tubular piece or sleeve. The several sets `of spherical rollers or balls are sepa- IOO rated from each other by interposed rin-gs or disks 19.

-The ball-bearing, comprising the tubular piece or sleeve 7, the rings or annular pieces 14, and the annular sets of spherical rollers or balls arranged as described, is adapted to be inserted within the axle-box into correct position on the caraxle,in which position the rings or annular pieces 14 will bear againsta shouldered part 2O of the axle-box, While the annulus 12 will bear against the packing 6, and the inner end ot` the tubular piece or sleeve 7 will bear against a shoulder 2l on the car-axle.

To retain the parts of the ball-bearing in proper position within the axle-box on the car-axle, I provide a screw-bolt 22, having its threaded portion 23 engaged with a screwthreaded socket 24, formed axially in the outer end of the car-axle or journal. The head of this screw-bolt is preferably circular and ot` such diameter as to project beyond and overlay the outer end portion of the tubular piece or sleeve 7 in such manner that when the parts are assembled in the position .shown in the drawing and the bolt is engaged with the axle, as explained, the head of the bolt constitutes an abutment that firmly and substantially secures the tubular piece or sleeve and the rings orannular pieces of the ball-bearing on the axle and within the axle-box. To prevent the possibility of the bolt becoming loose during the travel ot' the car, I provide it with a spring locking-pin 24a, having its inner end adapted to engage one of a series of locking-recesses 25, formed in the outer end of the car-axle or journal and arranged in an annular row concentric with the screw-threaded socket in such axle or journal.

To exclude dust, dirt, and other objectionable matter and'also aid in retaining the ball-bearing within the axle-box, I provide the imperforate screw-cap 26, having a screwthreaded flange 27 engaged with a screwthread formed in the outer end of the axlebox and resting against the outer ring or annular piece 14. The screw-cap is rigidly locked in its adjusted position and prevented from accidentally working loose by means of the locking-screw 28, passing transversely through the axle-box and engaged with a screw-threaded orifice 29 in the flange 27 of the screw-cap.

By the construction described and shownI provide a novel, durable, and efcient ballbearing, which sustains vthe radial pressure and counteracts endwise thrusts of the axle or journal, while the duplex packing is very eiiicientfor the conditions required to exclude dust, dirt, or other foreign matter, and the ball-bearing is confined within the axle-box in correct working position on the axle or journal Without the possibility of any lpart becoming loose or disarranged during theI travel of the car.

The annulus 12 and the'screw-,rin'g 18 serve to retain the end sets of rollers or balls in y their proper channels, as will be obvious.

The spherical rollers or balls 16, which resist endwise thrusts of the car axle or journal, have no pressure-supporting contact with the rings or annular pieces 14, but bear against the parallel adjacent surfaces of the ribs or collars l0 and 15 to resist the endwise thrusts.

The spherical rollers or balls 17 do not sustain endwise thrusts of the shafts, lbut have pressure-supporting contact with the rings or annular pieces 14, and in consequence of this arrangement the annular sets ot` spherical rollers or balls 16 alone serve for resisting endwise thrusts of the axle, while the radial pressure or weight is sustained or supported by distinct annular sets ot' spherical rollers or balls.

To permit convenient and prompt detachment of the screw-bolt which locks the ballbearing in position, the locking-pin must be acted on by a spring 30, which serves to automatically throw the pin into locking engagement with the axle. The head 3l of this locking-pin should also be provided with means to enable the pini to be held from engagement with the axle, and to accomplish this result I provide the inner side of the head`3l with a toe or lug 32, adapted to enter a similarly-sha-ped recess or notch 33 in the bolthead 22, when the locking-pin engages the axle in such manner that by drawing the pin outward from engagement with the axle and partially rotating the lockin g-pin to place the toe or lug out of coincidence with the recess or notch 33 the toe or lug will bear against the outside of the bolthead and retain the pin free from engagement with the axle, thereby permitting the bolt to be removed or replaced at will Without resorting to special tools for disengaging the pin from the axle. To lock the bolt after its application, it is only necessary to rotate the pin until the toe or lug coincides with the recess or notch, when the spring will throw the pin into engagement with the axle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A ball-bearing for car-axles, comprising a tubular piece or sleeve having an annular collar or rib intermediate its ends, an annulus screwed on the inner end of the tube or sleeve and containing an annular packinggroove, rings or annular pieces having in- IOO IOS

IIO

wardly-projecting ribs or collars, annular sets of spherical rollers or balls between the tubular piece or sleeve and the rings or annular pieces, and a screw-bolt adapted to screw into a car axle or journal and having its head constructed to engage and retain the tubular piece or sleeve, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a caraxle box having a screw-thread at its outer end and a flange at its inner end containing an annular packing-groove, of a tubular piece or sleeve having an annular collar or rib intermediate its ends, an annulus screwed on the inner end of the tube or sleeve, bearing against the packing in the grooved flange of the axle-box, and having an annular packing-groove, rings or annular pieces having inwardly -projecting ribs or collars, annular sets of spherical rollers or balls between the tubular piece or sleeve and the rings or annular pieces, a screwbolt adapted to engage the car-axle and bear against the tubular piece or sleeve, and a screw-cap engaging the screw-threaded outer end of the axle-box, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a car -axle box having a iiange at its inner end containing an annular packing-groove, of a tubular piece or .sleeve having an annular collar or rib interm ediate its ends, an annulus on the inner end of the tubular piece or sleeve, bearing against the packing in the groove-liange on the axlebox, and having the annular packing-groove in its outer surface, rings or annular pieces having in wardly-proj ectin g ribs or collars, annular sets of spherical rollers or balls for sustaining radial pressure, and other sets of spherical rollers or balls for resisting endwise thrusts of an axle or journal, means for confining the tubular piece or sleeve on the axle or journal, and an independent cap detachably secured to the outer end of the axle-box, substantially as described.

et. Tho combination, with a car-axle having a screw-socket in its outer end and a car-axle box having a flange at its inner end containing an annular packing-groove, of a tubular piece or sleeve arranged on the axle and having a rib or collar intermediate its ends, an annulus at the inner end of the tube or sleeve, bearing against the packing in the grooved flange of' the axle-box, and containing an annular packing-groove, a screw-ring on the outer end of the tube or sleeve, rings or annular pieces surrounding the tubular piece or sleeve and having inwardly-projecting ribs or collars, annular sets of spherical balls or rollers interposed between the tubular piece or sleeve and the rings or annular pieces for sustaining radial pressure and other sets of spherical rollers or balls for resisting endwise thrusts of the axle, a screw-bolt engaged with the screw-socket of the axle and bearing against the outer end of the tubular piece or sleeve,

a cap detachably secured to the outer end of the axle-box, and means for locking the screwbolt and cap against rotation, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with an axle and a suitableball-bearin g thereupon, of a screw-bolt entering a socket in the axle and having a head engaging a part of the ball-bearing to retain the latter on the axle, and a spring lockingpin carried by the head of the screw-bolt and engaging the axle, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with an axle, an axlebox, and a suitable ball-bearing located on the axle, of a screw-bolt entering a socket in the axle and having a head retaining the ball-bearing on the axle and carrying a locking-pin engaging the axle to lock the bolt, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a box having a flange containing an annular packing,a roove, of a suitable ball-bearing comprising an annulus having in its outer surface an annular packing-groove for providing a duplex packing at one end of a ball-bearing to exclude dust, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a box having a ange containing an annular packing-groove, of a suitable ball-bearing comprising a screwthreaded annulus bearing against the packing in the grooved flange of the box and having an annular groove containing a packing which bears against a part of the ball-bearing for forming a duplex packing at one end of a ball-bearin g to exclude dust, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with an axle and a suitable ball-bearingthereupon, of a screw-bolt entering a socketin the axle and having a head which retains the ball-bearing on the axle, and a rotating spring-pin carried by the bolthead and having a head provided with a toe or lug to retain the pin out of engagement with the axle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. F. SIMONDS.

Witnesses:

J AMES A. RUTHERFORD, ALBERT I-I. NoRRis. 

